Mario Kart: Double Dash Dreams
by AdmiralBobbery
Summary: Welcome to the first season of Mario Kart: Double Dash Dreams! Eight teams will compete for tons of coins in tandem style races! Traveling to every corner of the Mario Universe, dreams will be made and broken as these pairs dash for the finish line. Follow our hosts, Lakitu and Yellow as they take our duos on the rides of their lives!
1. A Racy Beginning

The sun shone down beautifully on the rough asphalt as a wispy white cloud hovered its way across the grassy medians. Huffing and puffing, the Lakitu riding in the cloud adjusted his goggles in a hurry and patted the microphone in his hand to make sure it was working. The sound reverberation split his ear drums and he winced in pain, furrowing his brows and learning that the microphone worked perfectly fine. Dashing past the black and white checkered starting line, Lakitu nearly collided with Yellow Toad, the person he had been looking for.

"Yo…Ye…llow ….what…are…you….doing….they'll…be…here…any…second, " Lakitu panted, out of breath from his long run, well float, across the track.

Yellow looked Lakitu up and down, and after a moment of careful consideration he said, "Calm down, everything will be fine."

Just like Yellow to not worry about anything. Lakitu let out a sign of exasperation and Yellow patted him on the back, "Hey Lakitu, I know it's your first time hosting a television show and everything, but don't be nervous. You've been coordinating kart races your entire life! It's only natural that you do this. So," Yellow Toad continued as he fished a black bowtie out of his pocket, "go put on your bowtie, freshen up the face, get a drink, and be back out here in five for this thing to start."

Feeling better after Yellow's pep talk, Lakitu nodded and after thanking him he floated into the lounge on the side of the track. Floating into the men's bathroom, Lakitu splashed water in his face and after he had dried himself off with a towel, proceeded to fit the bowtie perfectly on the center of his neck. Fixing his goggles one last time, he scooted out of the bathroom and back into the lounge. Stepping out of his cloud, Lakitu walked over to one of the bar stools and waved over the barhop, Podley.

"Just a tasty tonic," Lakitu ordered his drink and habitually checked his watch. Lakitu had been checking his watch for the past week and a half, constantly counting down the time to when the new racing show he would be hosting would begin. Podley brought the drink over and as Lakitu sipped on his tonic, the bartender said.

"So, today's the big day, how many teams is it again?"

"Eight," Lakitu answered the elderly man.

"Hmm, should be a good show. They all know how to drive these karts right?"

"They all passed the qualification test, and most of them have prior experience. I still can't believe this is happening," Lakitu breathed out.

"Well sometimes life hands you lemons and you make apple juice," Podley whimsically said.

"I don't think that's the saying," Lakitu held up a finger.

"Whatever, it's not like I got any lemons around here anyway. Now quit your talking you've got a show to host," Podley ordered.

Lakitu fished out a few coins but Podley held up a hand.

"On the house, now get moving," he smiled as Lakitu thanked him and hustled out the door.

"I need a drink," Podley thought.

"Hey! You look a lot better," Yellow called to Lakitu as he came back out to the track. Standing on the sidelines of Mario Circuit, the host and his assistant were waiting for the contestants to arrive. After a few moments of chit chat, a bus rolled up the hill and came to a screeching stop. Black fumes poured out the back and the bus looked like it was on the verge of breaking down. The doors slowly swung open and after a few moments, the contestants began to pour out, some of them with looks of dissatisfaction on their face.

The first to emerge was of course, Mario. He smiled and waved to the cameramen situated around the spot and flashed his perfect white teeth. Raising a fist high in the air, Mario made it clear he was here to win. Coming off right after him was Luigi, who also cheered and whooped as the cameramen focused in on him. The man in green caught up with Mario and Lakitu began on his cue, sweat trickling down his brow.

"So…ugh, Mario brothers, what brings you here?" Lakitu asked with a nervous smile.

Yellow slapped his face and hissed, "Come on Lakitu."

"Ugh, we signed up for the a big show, we want to win a the coins," Mario replied in confusion.

Lakitu knew he had to kick it in gear or the show would tank on its first day. Pushing his few shoots of hair back with a clammy hand, he focused his confidence and said,

'Well obviously, what I meant was, what do you hope to get out of this game other than money?"

Mario, his mind only on the coins seemed stump, but Luigi spoke up.

"I hope we a meet some new people, and a win a lot a races," he said. "Luigi and I have a always been in sync when it comes to sports, it's like we a have telepathy or something!"

"Well I wouldn't say a that," Luigi corrected his brother, "It's a more like instinct."

"Well said," Lakitu commented and added, "Well let's meet our next team."

Rosalina stepped off the bus, her turquoise dress altered to a more fitted wrap. Big star earrings adorned her ears and her silver crown rested on her silky platinum hair. Brushing the hair out of one eye, she was quickly followed off the bus by a large black luma. His blue eyes the shape of ovals, the middle aged star darted after his partner and once they reached Lakitu, the host said, "Ah, Rosalina and Polari! May I ask a question?"

"Ask away," Rosalina voice was lathered with beauty.

"What's your strategy to the game?"

"You have to be smart," Rosalina said, "And resourceful," Polari added.

"Polari?" Lakitu posed, "How is to leave the comet observatory and do something new?"

"Well, it's really different," the luma chuckled, "but I think it will be good for Rosi and I."

"Good answer," Lakitu commented and directed the team away as the next pairing came off the bus.

"Toad and Toadette," Lakitu smiled at the two as the bounced over to the host. Giggling, Toadette shoved Toad in the shoulder and he playfully smacked her pigtails.

"Well you two appear to be having fun already," Lakitu said, "What do you think will be most fun about the game?"

"Definitely the races," Toadette blurted almost directly after Lakitu finished, "I just hope we make it far and do our best."

"Yahoo!" Toad cheered, Lakitu looked at him strangely. "Yahoo!" Toad cheered again.

"Wise words," Lakitu tried to say something positive and the pair of toads joined Mario, Luigi, Rosalina and Polari. Next to come off the bus were Koopa and Paratroopa, who each shook hands with Lakitu and pleasantly answered their question.

"What do we think will help us win?" Koopa thought aloud, "Hmm, I'd have to say our size. People underestimate us and think we're pretty unimportant, but they've got another thing coming." Paratroopa nodded in agreement, "Those guys won't know what hit them!" He aggressively pounded a balled up fist into his hand.

Paratroopa continued, "I can't wait to get going!" Fire danced in his eyes

"Well, I'm certain they won't," Lakitu nervously gulped, "Know what hit them," he finished when he received looks of confusion from the turtles. Not wanting to get punched in the face, he was glad that Koopa and Paratroopa moved on, and greeted DK and Diddy.

"We're going bananas!" Diddy shrieked in pure joy, "The opportunity to win so much money is great!"

"Let's get this race going!" DK enthusiastically cried and the monkeys clambered over to the others on all fours as Peach and Daisy popped out of the bus side by side and nearly tumbled into the asphalt.

"I didn't even ask you your question," Lakitu miserably mumbled as the apes ran off.

"Hey ladies," Lakitu welcomed them, "How is it to be here?" He tried his best to sound enthusiastic after missing DK and Diddy.

"It's so great!" Daisy smiled, "I can't wait to get started, when do we start actually?" the princesses thoughts seemed to be a little scattered. Peach laid a hand on her shoulder, "What my cousin means is that she's very pleased to be here and is privileged to be able to stand next to me."

"Uh…what?" Daisy said in confusion.

Lakitu, awkwarded out by Peach's vanity and Daisy's ADD, decided to send them along and greet Wario and Waluigi.

"So Wario brothers," Lakitu began, "What does it take to win?"

"Ha-ha! It takes guts and bombs! If you got those two, you can't be stopped!" Wario laughed maniacally.

"Umm, a bit of decency wouldn't help either," Waluigi said skeptically, eyeing his brother who wouldn't stop laughing.

"Alright, that's enough of that, go stand over there," Lakitu ordered and Waluigi had to help Wario, who was still laughing like a madman, over to the sidelines. Yoshi and Birdo were the last team to arrive, and Lakitu asked them,

"Which one of you is the better driver?"

"Definitely Birdo," Yoshi blushed, "I'm just a little hyper so I tend to go too fast. I can't make the turns and just smash into the wall."

Birdo laughed and added, "Well I have terrible aim, so it's good that Yoshi's on items."

Appreciating their down-to-earth mood, Lakitu happily joined them in their walk over to the other seven teams. Yoshi and Birdo joined their ranks, and Yellow Toad brushed past the group to stand by Lakitu. The sixteen players looked around them, wondering what would happen next.

"Good morning," Lakitu said to all of them, "Now, each of you signed up to be part of the biggest event in kart racing history. Over the course of the next month, the sixteen of you will be racing at tracks all over the world, competing for up to a possible 500,000 coins."

Everyone gaped at the possible winning total, not expecting the prize to be so high.

"Mamma Mia!" Mario exclaimed, "I gotta get me some coins!"

Lakitu returned to his speech, shooting Mario an annoyed glare for interrupting him.

"However, don't get too excited, because for one of you, the journey may end today, where we are now. You see, after each race, one of you may be eliminated."

"You mean as in, gone from the competition?" Toadette asked.

"Yes Toadette, gone for good. Never to return, and no more racing. However, not all is as bad as it seems, because the way you win money is by winning races. So if you get eliminated, but have won a race, you get to keep whatever you earned. Sound fair?"

Everyone nodded, and Polari raised a small hand.

"Yes Polari," Lakitu said.

"When do we begin?"

"I'm glad you asked," Lakitu tipped his head at the luma, "Depending on what time you made in the qualifying round, you'll be picking your karts. Please follow me to the garage." Everyone scurried after him, his cloud quickly shooting off towards a building on the side of the track. Lakitu pressed a button on the wall, and the steel door that concealed the garage began to lift up. The room became exposed after a moment, and inside the players awed at the eight shiny new karts that were displayed in front of them.

"Mario and Luigi," Lakitu said.

"Yes!" Both brothers yelled.

"Because you were the fastest in the qualifying rounds, you'll be picking first," Lakitu told them.

The brothers quickly dashed into the room, and started to peruse the karts.

There were eight karts in total, each one shining due to the fact that they were recently polished and had never been ridden. The burnishing the toad mechanics had done made the whole room seem to glow and Mario and Luigi didn't know where to begin. The first kart was shaped like a lightning bolt, yellow in design with a white zigzag coursing down the side. The body was weirdly designed, but the kart screamed speed. It was labeled- Kart #1.

Kart #2 was small and pink, built like an old stage coach. It had a hutch with a wide plush seat and several other amenities on deck like a glove box and cup holders. Those things seemed unnecessary and the Mario brothers suspected the image of the car seemed nice but they could tell it wasn't the best choice.

Kart #3 was shaped like a sports car. It was low and long and had a gigantic muffler sticking out the back. The paint was bright red and the handlebar on the back seemed to leave no room for the second rider.

"I a don't like the thought of that," Luigi said as he viewed the kart, but Mario thought the ride looked sweet.

"Maybe," the elder brother said with squinted eyes.

Kart #4 was a deep purple, and had a gigantic hood. The top was open like the rest, but the exposed inside was a black leather. It appeared to be like a regular car, and the brothers wondered why it was like this.

Kart #5 seemed the most appealing to them, it was simple and painted green. It was raised off the ground a bit and had blue streaks of flame running down the side. The kart seemed like it would be fast, but easy to handle to. Mario and Luigi made a telepathic nod, the brothers in sync with their feelings about the kart without having to say a word. They moved on to Kart #6 but their eyes lingered on the previous cart.

Kart #6 was looked over by the brothers. It was large and looked like a big barrel. Something the Kong family would drive probably. They didn't like Kart #7 either, this one was small and blue, so tiny it looked as if the Mario brothers couldn't fit in it. Kart #8 resembled a koopa shell, and retracing their steps back three karts, the brothers made their decision.

"We pick a kart number five," Mario said confidently while Luigi nodded.

"Are you sure?" Lakitu asked with thinning eyes.

"Positive," Luigi backed up his brother.

"Then Mario and Luigi will be driving…Kart #5!" Lakitu bellowed loud enough for the toad mechanics to hear. They scrambled from their seated positions on their toolboxes and wheeled the kart outside of the garage. Leaving seven karts inside, Lakitu turned to the seven remaining teams.

"Rosalina and Polari, you were the second fastest team in the trials. This means that you will be picking next. Please enter the garage and make your selection," Lakitu instructed warmly.

The celestial woman and her star companion looked over the karts with keen looks. Rosalina ran a hand down the lightning bolt figure of Kart #1, and looked at Polari. The luma could tell the space princess had made her decision and he nodded with a grin. Rosalina's eyes lit up and the pair left the garage.

'We pick kart number one," Rosalina velvet voice sang.

"Kart number one?" Lakitu asked to confirm.

"That's right," Polari said.

"Rosalina and Polari are driving…Kart #1!" Lakitu shouted. The toad mechanics were on hand this time and readily wheeled the kart out. Rosalina clapped her hands excitedly and her Polari bustled over to the shootout. Lakitu turned to the next team and said, "Toad and Toadette please make your choice."

The pair of toads were quick in their decision, happily scooping up Kart #7 and stumbling over their words with excitement.

"Seven!" Toadette cheered, giddy with anticipation.

"Very well," Lakitu signaled the toad mechanics over. "Please go join the other two teams at the shootout." The host turned to the remaining five teams, "Let's see, Yoshi and Birdo will be picking next." The pair of dinosaurs happily strode forward and into the garage to pick out their kart. With karts #1, #5, and #7 gone, they settled for kart #3, due to Birdo's obsession with flashy things.

"I think it looks absolutely ravishing," Birdo said, and Yoshi looked a bit dejected at the choice, but settled for it because the Mario brothers had picked the coolest car in his opinion. Yoshi and Birdo left to join the others who had already picked out their karts and with half of the selections over, Lakitu rubbed his hands together and called out Peach and Daisy.

The pair of princesses obviously picked the pink coach car, the plush interior and lavish design making them swoon with girly giggles of delight. "Is this the kart you'll be driving girls?" Lakitu asked in a playful manner, shooting a wink at Daisy.

"Oh yes," Daisy and Peach giggled in unison and the host followed them with his eyes as they lined up at the shootout. Waluigi had to cough for Lakitu to turn around and resume the pre-game procedures, and the host blushed a bit and adjusted his bowtie although it was fine. Recomposing himself, the host turned to the others and extended a hand to the three remaining karts.

"Now, the next team to choose a kart will be Donkey Kong and Diddy," Lakitu motioned for the simian pair to pick one out and the clambered over to the selection. Their eyes alighted on the barrel-shaped kart, and the monkeys beat their chest in glee as the barrel car was rolled out.

"I think that car was destined for you," Lakitu murmured with a presaged grin.

"Well it looks like the crates we keep bananas in back home, so I'm glad we can keep some connections to the jungle with us while we race," DK eloquently phrased, taking Lakitu by surprise a little due to the fact that he was a monkey. In truth, DK actually read a lot in his spare time and was rather astute from a primate. Diddy followed his best friend to the shootout, leaving just two teams behind. Wario and Waluigi and Koopa and Paratroopa remained.

Lakitu looked uneasily at Paratroopa, who looked down. "Come on over Koopa and Paratroopa, you'll be picking between the final two cars." Paratroopa glumly flew over, while Koopa bounced happily on the heels of his boots. "Is there something wrong?" Lakitu asked the obviously melancholy turtle.

"I'm sorry for my angry entrance; I just don't know how to really react to situations outside of my home. Me and Koopa here have just recently finished our tenure with King Bowser and I'm trying to settle into life as a retiree. I think this competition will be good for me to practice some social skills, but Koopa here has always been friendly. So, if I made anything awkward when we arrived, I apologize," Paratroopa seemed genuinely penitent. Lakitu nodded understandingly, "That's alright, I understand. I never had to serve Bowser but I'm sure having to do that would put a damper on your social skills. I'm absolutely positive this game will help you change, and for the better."

Paratroopa smiled at the host, and after a look of resolve passed over his eyes he happily joined Koopa in picking out a kart. The only two left were the frightening purple car with the black leather, and the koopa shell kart. The pair, being turtles, decided on the obvious choice and settled on Kart #8. This left Wario and Waluigi with Kart #4.

"I guess we won't ask you what kart you'd like," Lakitu rubbed the back of his neck and flashed a smile at the grumpy pair. "You'll be driving Kart #4…unfortunately by default due to your placement in the qualifying round, but don't be discouraged by that." The pair of antiheroes didn't hold a grudge; because that was the kart they had hoped for.

"We wanted this one anyway, so we'll take it without a fight," Wario said the word fight lightly, so Lakitu knew they didn't mean any malice. The toad mechanics had already rolled out Kart #4 due to it being the last one, and in due time they were all lined up at the pole position shootout. Lakitu hopped into cloud once more, having it brought to him by Yellow, and the pair floated and walked together to the checkered line.

"Now," Lakitu began, "The first race will begin right now!" Everyone had thought they might get in some practice, so the news was rather shocking.

"You mean we might be eliminated here…right now?" Toad asked incredulously.

"That's exactly what I mean Toad," Lakitu laughed. "You'll all start on my count. When I wave this green flag and say go, you'll have to complete three laps around the course. Use of items in the proper manner is allowed, we just encourage fair play. Any suspicion of foul play may result in penalization or in some cases removal from the game. The last team to cross the black and white checkered line may be eliminated."

Everyone looked tense, and the drivers and riders exchanged nervous glances. Yellow walked forward, while Lakitu flew up next to the banner over the track.

"There is something we neglected to tell you," Yellow said mischievously. "You see, the kart you selected plays a part in this first race. One of these cars is tampered with, and the selection you made may result in troubles ahead."

"That's not fair!" Peach protested, "That's like, an automatic guarantee to losing!"

"Not quite," Yellow explained, "If you're fast."

Everyone groaned, they could already tell that this game wouldn't be as fun as they thought it would be. Yellow stepped off towards the sidelines and everyone was wondering if they had the tampered car. Whoever had it would be provided with a new kart next race, but for this one, the odds were stacked against one team. With this thought clouding their minds, many of the racers didn't notice at first when Lakitu began the countdown.

"3!" the cloud-riding host cheered.

"2!" DK tightened his grip.

"1!" Toadette furrowed her brow in concentration.

"GO!" the host shouted and he waved the green flag.

Only two teams got the boost, Luigi and Mario, and Rosalina and Polari. The two sped to the front, leaving their opponents in the dust. Giddy to begin, Toad and Toadette had spun out and so did Yoshi and Birdo.

"Drat!" Yoshi cursed.

Shooting down the narrow straits of Mario Circuit, Rosalina and Polari easily took the lead. Luigi and Mario were gaining on them though, and the first set of item boxes were approaching. Behind them, DK and Diddy were picking up speed and Peach and Daisy were soon behind them.

"What did we get?" Rosalina shouted to Polari over the whipping wind created by the accelerating kart. "A banana!" Polari exclaimed in frustration. "Well go ahead and throw it," Rosalina suggested and the luma did just that. The yellow fruit splattered against the ground, nowhere near the advancing Mario brothers. "Sorry," Polari breathed, "I'll get better."

Bringing up the rear, Toad and Toadette landed a star. 'Wow!" Toadette cried, "How do I use it?"

"Shove it in the exhaust!" Toad yelled and following instructions, Toadette thrust the glowing object in the pipes. The kart instantly lurched forward and in a sparkling display of every color on the spectrum, the two dramatically increased their speed. "What are you doing?" Toadette screamed wildly as Toad realigned their course directly for Wario and Waluigi. "I'm gonna thin the competition," Toad replied in a sneaky voice. Ramming the kart right into Wario and Waluigi's, Kart #4 went careening into the dirt outside the track and Toad and Toadette happily rose in place. The antiheroes cursed as their ride flipped over and Waluigi was thrown onto the track. Dusting themselves off and hopping back onto the kart, the two realized they were now in eighth and narrowed their eyes for the top.

"How are we doing?" Paratroopa asked Koopa, who was busy driving. "Not too bad, but I think we're in fifth," Koopa responded. However, that wouldn't stay true for long. Paratroopa whistled with delight as a blue shell emerged from the item box.

"On the first lap? That's pretty lucky," Paratroopa said to himself and without wasting a moment he gave it a throw sky high.

"What was that?" Daisy pointed at the blue blur that whizzed by from her riding position. Peach gunned the coach and the two followed the winged blue shell down the track. They passed the baffled monkeys, who had no clue what the flying shell was and the apes swore as the women blew them kisses.

"Mamma Mia!" Luigi said regarding the blue shell, and Mario looked confused as Rosalina and Polari slammed on the brakes. "Mario a what are you a doing?" Luigi cried as he realized the trick in Rosalina's unclear tactic. She smirked as their kart drove backwards and the blue shell redirected its course.

"Auf Wiedersehen," Rosalina cooed as the Mario brothers met their doom. They were sent spiraling high into the sky and several teams passed them as they crashed down. Mumbling Italian curses, the pair dropped into fifth, and the positions were all shaken up. Mario smashed the pedal to the floor as soon as they were realigned, but the blue shell had taken its toll.

Rosalina and Polari were steady in first, but the battle for second was in full fury. Peach and Daisy smashed into DK and Diddy, and both teams spun out. A surprised Toad and Toadette, thanks to the help of their star, raced into second. Snaking the curve, the next strait was littered with warp pipes, and having to dodge them proved tricky. Not accustomed to precisely maneuvering the kart, both Rosalina and Polari and Toad and Toadette smashed into the green structures, letting out groans of anger.

"Why are these stupid pipes here?" Toad yelled as he backed up the kart and the two pairs realigned their courses, zooming down the track once more.

Down in the back of the pack, Yoshi and Birdo were battling it out with the Wario Brothers for control of seventh place, while Mario and Luigi were working their way past the weakened monkeys. Closing in on the jungle pair, the Italians zoomed past when the time was right and their rivals watched them streak past in disbelief.

Current Positions

Rosalina and Polari

Toad and Toadette

Koopa and Paratroopa

Peach and Daisy

Mario and Luigi

DK and Diddy

Wario and Waluigi

Yoshi and Birdo

A plethora of Piranha Plants met Rosalina and Polari, and as the carnivorous flora lashed out with a hungry chomp, the pair swerved to the right. However, a second Piranha Plant came crashing down on them, and they were helplessly flipped by the force. Toad and Toadette cheered as they passed by, sailing into first place.

Receiving a bob-omb from the item box, Waluigi snickered malevolently as he threw the projectile far ahead, with a bit of luck and some serious arm the explosive dropped right into a warp pipe.

"Come on!" Waluigi thought the resultant of his toss was bad luck, but in actuality he had just discovered the hidden function of the track. Far ahead of the brothers, the cosmic duo and the pair of toads were weaving their way through the second and final set of warp pipes for the track, and as they almost managed to escape the green forest of piping, something unexpected happened. A lone bob-omb, swelled and reddened popped out of the farthest warp pipe and with a deafening explosion it went off.

"No!" Rosalina cried as she and Polari flipped over several times in the air. Screaming like a madwoman, Toadette closed her eyes tight as they came crashing down, and soon their lead was lost. Evening the score, first place could not be called.

Rosalina and Polari could see the checkered lane, and they flew by as Lakitu waved the flag, signaling the beginning of the second lap. "Alright!" Rosalina boasted their status, but Toad and Toadette were right behind them. Koopa and Paratroopa looked on happily, but their short moment of joy was crushed when a red shell smashed into the back of their kart.

"Yo!" Daisy whooped as the princesses passed by and the koopa pairing received a second blow from contact with a green shell Luigi had tossed. "Sorry!" the man in green apologized as they drove past and Mario slapped his face. "Don't apologize Luigi," he chided, "It's a race, and you want to win the money don't you?" Luigi sheepishly said, "I know."

"Come on Birdo!" Yoshi tried to sound encouraging, but he didn't think much could help. That feeling was erased when Birdo stared in wonder at the miniature lightning bolt in her hand. "Here goes nothing!" She laughed wickedly as the lightning rained down, they could see several bolts hit the players in front of them.

"No!" Toad and Toadette pouted simultaneously, they had been so close to overtaking Rosalina and Polari when the lightning struck. Everyone was super tiny now, except for the pair that came surging down the middle of the straight.

Birdo and Yoshi knocked players out of the way and into the dirt, and several teams were flattened by the "superior" size of the dinosaurs. Laughing mercilessly, the power trip of the pink and green couple was soon diminished.

"What's going on?" Birdo stammered as the kart started to slow. Behind them, Wario and Waluigi had already grown back to normal size, and DK and Diddy had followed suit. "We're out of gas!" Yoshi couldn't believe his own words as Mario and Luigi and the princesses regained their strength. "You don't think…we got the tampered kart?" Birdo was horrified at their ill luck.

"I'm afraid you did!" Lakitu hovered over them with a megaphone, his voice expanding with the assistance. "You'll have to pull over and refill, hopefully you can be quick about it!" Yoshi and Birdo looked stunned. "Chop chop!" Lakitu hollered and the pair slowly drove over to the pits, the fate of the race drastically changing as they did so.

"That so sucks," Peach commented on the unfortunate events surrounding Birdo and Yoshi. Her and Daisy shared a quick laugh and then returned the cynosure of their thoughts to the race. Rosalina and Polari had been surpassed by Toad and Toadette due to the lightning strike, but it was still close. The second lap had only just begun.

Crossing the line to begin the second lap, Wario and Waluigi were discontented with their position. Snagging three mushrooms from the item box, Waluigi crammed them into the exhaust and the purple car burst forward. Gaining celerity, the antiheroes were still far behind, but the outlines of other players started to come into view. Scooping up another bomb, Waluigi snickered as he tossed the explosive and his throw was accurate.

"Ooooo!" DK and Diddy screeched as Wario and Waluigi tore up the track. The monkeys stalled into seventh, due to Yoshi and Birdo's fuel dysfunction. The race was still on, and everyone was wrapped up in the heat of the second lap. At the top, Polari missed Toad and Toadette with a green shell, and the cosmic couple was sent tumbling when a deadly red shell smashed into their back.

"Let's-a-go!" Mario cheered as they sped past and Rosalina and Polari grimaced. In fifth place, Koopa and Paratroopa were staying steady, not too concerned with their position. As long as they didn't cross the line last, everything was fine.

Plucking a giant yellow banana from the item box, Diddy chortled with nostalgia as he tossed the fruit way ahead. Splattering onto the asphalt directly in front of Wario and Waluigi, the humongous banana separated into three normal banana peels as the brothers made contact. Cursing their bad luck as DK and Diddy drove past, Wario and Waluigi dropped back into seventh.

"What'd you get?" Koopa asked his pal and Paratroopa smiled as he deployed the triple red shells. _Crash!_ Daisy and Peach wailed as they flipped over. _Smash!_ Rosalina and Polari swore once more as the red shell made contact. _Bash!_ Mario and Luigi couldn't hide their surprise that the koopas overtook them. Toad and Toadette were far ahead though, and there wasn't much the turtles could do to catch up, their karts speed wasn't as stellar and they soon dropped back down in the rankings.

"Come on!" Yoshi slapped his forehead as the pump slowly filled up the tank. A click was heard and Birdo nearly threw the nozzle to the ground. "Hurry!" she yelled as Yoshi put the pump back and the two hopped in their cart.

"Take this for your troubles," Lakitu winked and handed them a golden mushroom. "Wow!" Yoshi held the item in awe. "Give that to me!" Birdo ordered and as snatching the shining Shroom from her husband, the car bolted out of sight. Repetitively zooming forward, the pair soon approached Wario and Waluigi. Overtaking them with speed, the dinosaurs ran out of juice right behind DK and Diddy, and the simians breathed a sigh of relief as they maintained sixth. Leaving the Wario brothers in their wake the pair of prehistoric lovers was almost even with the chimps. The battle in the back was getting interesting.

The secret of the warp pipes revealed to the leading teams due to Waluigi's lucky toss, Toadette wondered if she could shake things up in the back. Instead of throwing the red shell they had earned behind them, which was likely to miss anyway, she dropped it as they passed the first field of warp pipes. True to its design, the red shell shot out of the other warp pipe zone and made a beeline for Wario and Waluigi. Wondering where the honing shell could have come from, the antiheroes couldn't believe how horrible things were getting.

"Come on!" Wario protested, "No one's even behind us!"

In the middle of the race, Koopa and Paratroopa gunned past the princesses with the aid of a mushroom, but Peach and Daisy had a trick up their sleeve. Deploying their heart shield, the pink token swirled around their kart and the machinations of a plotting pair of apes soon turned into a free red shell for the princesses. With a glint in her eye Daisy chucked the cerise shell forward and it crashed into the back of the koopa's kart.

"Later!" Daisy jeered as they passed by.

"Come on," Koopa spoke with determination.

Things weren't over for Yoshi and Birdo though, as the pair picked up a speckled egg, Birdo dropped it in the warp pipe they were passing and laughed haughtily. The egg came out on the other side and cracked against the Mario brothers kart. Mario fumbled with the steering wheel as the projectile broke against them and they tumbled to the side. Several items flew out from the shattered egg, one of them being a shining golden star. Peach and Daisy collided with the special item and soon their entire structure became radiant with golden sheen and their speed doubled.

"Sorry boys!" Peach giggled as she drove her kart right into the gawking brothers. They screamed as their kart flipped over itself and they were passed by a pair of determined turtles. Dropping back into fifth, the Mario brothers were less than pleased.

Current Positions

Toad and Toadette

Rosalina and Polari

Peach and Daisy

Koopa and Paratroopa

Mario and Luigi

DK and Diddy

Yoshi and Birdo

Wario and Waluigi

"Hurry Toad! The third lap is soon!" Toadette wailed as her brother hit the gas. Accelerating to top speed, Kart #7 displayed unprecedented speed and the pack behind them were fading back. "Lap Three!" Lakitu signaled the final lap and the brother and sister pair cheered with unparalleled happiness. Run off the side of the course by Peach and Daisy's star, Rosalina and Polari didn't cross the line into the third lap so easily. The duo was passed by both the koopas and the heroic brothers before they could regain what they had lost. Colliding with an item box, things looked better for the two.

"Is that what I think it is Polari?" Rosalina smirked.

"Yes ma'am," Polari mused and sent forth the aquatic projectile. Blooper soared through the air, inking the karts of the players in front of them. Peach and Daisy, Mario and Luigi, Koopa and Paratroopa, and Toad and Toadette all succumbed to the black wrath.

"I can't see!" Daisy whined.

"What's-a-going on?" Luigi shrieked with confusion.

"Hold tight Troopa, we've got trouble ahead!" Koopa shouted.

"Whoa sis, I can't see!" Toad complained.

In the chaos of the blooper, Koopa and Paratroopa sailed into the sideline and smashed into the guardrail. Their kart lurched forward and the duo was ejected from their race kart. Huffing with exhaustion as they clambered back into the kart, they miserably watched as the other teams managed to pass them. Even Yoshi and Birdo zoomed past, and the pair of turtles dropped from second to seventh in seconds. That's how close the race was. Shaving the bend, Rosalina and Polari tore in front of Toad and Toadette, and the toads caterwauled in despair. Reaching top speed in their lightning bolt kart, Rosalina and Polari soon bolted out of sight (no pun intended).

Passing by the warp pipes before any harm could be done, the same couldn't be said for the princesses and Toad and Toadette. Another bob-omb emerged from the warp pipe, assumingly from Wario and Waluigi and the two teams spun out as they managed to meet with the outer ring of the explosion.

"Hey DK, aim for that item box!" Diddy Kong commanded and his best friend swerved to hit the double box. "A red shell and some giant banana." Diddy shouted. "Well use em' up," DK ordered and the result was splendid. Mario and Luigi evaded the red shell and it smacked into Peach and Daisy. Somersaulting in their kart, the princesses dropped to fifth and as the third lap commenced for everyone, the position chart was drastically different than it had been a lap before.

Current Positions

Rosalina and Polari

Toad and Toadette

Mario and Luigi

DK and Diddy

Peach and Daisy

Yoshi and Birdo

Koopa and Paratroopa

Wario and Waluigi

Dropping to eighth, Paratroopa cursed as the Wario Brothers surpassed them. Sending the monkeys back to whence they came with a green shell, the princesses took fourth. Closing in on the final bend, Rosalina and Polari boosted themselves forward with a mushroom.

"What's this?" Paratroopa studied the rock in his hand, just picking it up from an item box. "I have no clue," Paratroopa held the item in front of the driver so he could see; "I guess it's our only hope at this point, the race is almost over." The definitive statement from Koopa made Paratroopa actually realize that if they didn't do something, they may just be the first to go to home. Chucking the rock into the air in hopes that it would do something, Paratroopa closed his eyes and prayed.

At first, nothing happened. Then, the rock began to grow. Expanding until it was a tremendous size; the duo gawked at what hovered in the sky. It was a thwomp. The thwomp flew forward, casting an ominous shadow on the antiheros Wario and Waluigi, and with a colossal shake it crashed down on their kart. Flattening them into paper thin proportions, Wario and Waluigi looked as if they weren't going anywhere any time soon. Cheering with newfound hope, Koopa and Paratroopa whizzed past and entered seventh place.

Having left behind most of the pack with an expert drift through the warp pipes coupled with the unfortunate collision between bob-omb and the holders of second and third place, Rosalina and Polari were far ahead.

"Hey Rosalina, I think that's the finish line," Polari murmured, staring at the black and white checkered strip about one hundred feet in front of them. "Hit the gas!" the luma bossed. Maxing out their speed, Rosalina and Polari shot past the finish line and claimed the title of first place.

"Yahoo!" Rosalina waved to the spectators who had come out to see the new show live, and they erupted with raucous applause. Cheering mellifluously, Yellow merely nodded with approval as he saw who finished first. Quiet in his celebrations, Yellow actually was very pleased, he just didn't show it. Lakitu swore under his breath, because he and Yellow had made a bet on the first race, and Yellow had picked these two.

"They just seem mysterious," Lakitu could hear Yellow's words in his mind.

"Dang it, they won," Toad breathed as he and Toadette zoomed past the finish line.

"Well, that's-a-not too bad," Mario nodded approvingly as he and Luigi slowed to a halt, placing in third.

However, the result for fourth place was not so easily determined. The monkeys gained on Daisy and Peach, and the two teams were neck and neck. They were simply vying for the better shootout position for the next race. By a nose, the princesses prevailed and the monkeys cried out in good-humored anger. Congratulating the others for making it past, the first five teams had been determined.

However, there were still three other teams racing. Koopa and Paratroopa were a bit ahead of Wario and Waluigi thanks to their thwomp, but Yoshi and Birdo were still a bit ahead. Failing to catch the dinosaurs, Koopa and Paratroopa breathed sighs of relief as they nabbed seventh place. Yoshi and Birdo weren't pleased, but they'd take sixth place.

"That was a very unlucky race for us," Birdo remarked, "I can't believe we picked the faulty car."

"Well you picked it," Yoshi recalled.

"Shut up," Birdo cut her eyes at him and he gulped in fear of his wife's notorious rage.

"Yes ma'am," Yoshi whispered.

They had already accepted it, because when Wario and Waluigi rolled in at eighth place, they had looks of disappointment on their face. "Well, we did place last in the qualifying round," Waluigi said and Wario nodded. The fans in the stand came to a hush and Lakitu floated down. Yellow was soon to walk up and the host and his companion faced the eight teams, who had now all disembarked from their karts. Lakitu had an expression mixed with glee and glumness all in the same.

"Well, let's begin with the highlights," Lakitu started, "Rosalina and Polari, you crossed the finish line first, which means you win the prize for this race!" The crowd went mad and Rosalina and Polari waved to the spectators as the other teams clapped for them.

"Don't worry; you won't have to split the prize. Each member of the winning team will receive their own sum of coins. For winning this race, you two will receive…25,000 coins!"

"Yes!" Rosalina cheered and she hugged Polari. The pair seemed wrapped in joy and the luma looked like he was tearing up. "I can't believe we won the first race. I know I'm the senior luma at the comet observatory and I just didn't think I would be able to experience something like this in what I have left of my life. On the first lap, I couldn't even throw the banana peels straight but by the end of the third lap, that blooper soared right over everyone's heads! I guess I'm just proud of Rosi and myself," Polari's speech was heartwarming and everyone clapped again.

"Well, that's quite a bit of money, so you can do many more things with your life," Lakitu commended Polari and Rosalina and turned back to the players.

"However, Wario and Waluigi, you finished in eighth place, which means you crossed the finish line last," Lakitu had a grave look on his face and Wario and Waluigi looked directly at him, seeming gallant in their possible last moments.

"Unfortunately, for finishing in last place, you have been eliminated from the game."

Wario gulped and Waluigi patted his brother on the back. The pair seemed disappointed, but then Wario let out a deafening roar of a laugh. "Wahahaha!" he shouted. "You could've asked me if Waluigi and I would ever compete in a racing tournament and I would have told you no way. But we came out here and we gave it our best. So many teams auditioned for the show and to make it past the qualifying round was enough to let me know I've got it good with Waluigi here." Waluigi seemed endeared by his brother's light words and the two embraced while Lakitu smiled over the graceful departure.

"You can find your bags in the bus and you'll be taken back to the Mushroom Kingdom, but before we go, we have to say goodbye," Lakitu ushered forth the call and the rest of the teams gave the pudgy man and his lanky brother a gigantic group hug. The good sportsmanship made the crowd go berserk and people clapped and cheered while Wario and Waluigi climbed onto the bus. The brothers looked out at the remaining teams and the stands, and waving their goodbye, the bus departed. The first race was over, and Wario and Waluigi were out of the race.

"That was tough to let them go," Yellow murmured, "But be glad it wasn't you. Due to the departure of the Wario brothers, that means the rest of you have another opportunity to win some coins. And by some, I mean a lot."

"It's sad to see them leave so soon," Koopa said, "And they were right behind us."

"I just didn't want to make last place, but I didn't think about how it would feel for someone else to," Diddy said glumly.

"You know, I wish they could've stayed longer. I think they would have been pretty fun to hang around with, once they warmed up," Luigi commented.

"Actually, if we hadn't gotten that thwomp, it would have been us going," Paratroopa remarked.

"Yeah about that," Koopa stated, "I've never heard of a thwomp as an item in the grand prix before."

"This isn't the grand prix," Lakitu spoke coldly; "There are many more surprises such as the thwomp that could change the fate of the entire race. Like you said, it would have been you." The thought of unprecedented items and new twists being involved in the game made everyone sweat, they just wanted to lie down and get some rest. Almost reading their minds and leaving the content of the game to mystery, Lakitu waved everyone inside the lounge from the track. The crowd started to disperse and in a few minutes the last bus back to the Mushroom Kingdom was gone.

Inside the lounge, Podley was polishing a glass. "Tasty tonics all around," Yellow announced grandly as the sixteen of them entered. Eyes wide at the large order, Podley started cranking out drinks and the tap didn't seem to stop. Once the sixteen drinks were passed around, everyone held them high.

"To Wario and Waluigi," Mario said warmly.

"To Wario and Waluigi," everyone chanted.

Everyone took a hearty swig of the drink and the glasses clinked as they rested on the table. "So, where's the next race?" Toad asked.

"I can't tell you, each new location will be a surprise. So we all need to get a good rest, because tomorrow we're off to a new spot," Lakitu instructed. Gulping down the rest of the Tasty Tonics, the party of sixteen left and Podley nodded goodnight as he closed up shop.

Lakitu placed a coin on the table, "Toad and Toadette beat the Mario brothers," he said.

"I knew them lil' fireballs had it in em'," Podley smiled.

"Hey Lakitu, it's only four o'clock, I'm not going to bed yet!" Toadette shouted and Podley laughed briefly. "Got a sassy one there," he said.

"Hey! I heard that!" Toadette whined.

"Oh bother, I betted on you," Podley's statement cheered her up and her face visibly changed for the better.

Everyone followed Lakitu into the heart of the building, and they marveled at the lobby. There was a large staircase, with red carpet and a golden bannister running up the side. A toad concierge ran up to them and greeted the large group heartily.

"Welcome to the Mario Motel. It's not really a motel, more like a five-star hotel but Mario Motel has a nice ring to it. Would you all like to see your rooms?" the toad asked.

"That'd be nice Toadalton, I already know where Yellow and I are staying, but could you please show the rest of them to their rooms?" Lakitu asked kindly.

"Sure thing Mr. Lakitu, right this way folks," Toadalton seemed rather pleasant and he crammed everyone into the elevator.

"This doesn't seem very safe," Peach commented, her eyes showing expressions of worry.

"Well, we're already at the second floor, so we can get off," Toadalton exclaimed and the fifteen of them filed out. Lakitu and Yellow had stayed in the lobby, so they weren't with everyone else. Reaching the first door, labeled Room 22, Toadalton waved an arm towards the edifice.

"This is where Mr. Yoshi and Mrs. Birdo will be staying," Toadalton handed both of them a key card and the Birdo inquired as to where their luggage was.

"It's right inside," Toadalton smiled and the two shrugged in compliance, disappearing into their room.

"Room 23 will belong to Ms. Daisy and Ms. Peach," Toadalton said and the two girls giggled with excitement to be rooming together. Graciously taking the key card from Toadalton, they shuffled inside their room and waved goodbye to the others. They would all probably meet up again for dinner and exploration of the hotel, but for now everyone wanted to settle in. It was a shame Wario and Waluigi hadn't even made it to the Mario Motel.

"Room 24 shall be occupied by Mr. Donkey and Diddy Kong," Toadalton tried his best to sound professional. The two primates took their key cards and bid the others goodbye.

"We'll see you at dinner," Mario waved goodbye to them and they returned the gesture.

"Room 25 will be stayed in by Mr. Toad and Mrs. Toadette," said Toadalton as he gave them both a key card. The pair, beaming after coming in second, were all smiles as they entered their room.

"Room 26 will belong to Mr. Polari and Mrs. Rosalina, and might I add a congratulations for today's actions on the track," Toadalton praised the cosmic duo and they appeared to blush with the newfound attention. Not much happened up on the comet observatory so winning on the first day was a whole new type of attention.

"Room 27 will be occupied by Mr. Koopa and Mr. Paratroopa," the turtles were eager to enter their room and rest. They had sweated the final lap and coming in seventh by a few moments had spared them from elimination. With a warm pardon to Mario and Luigi, the turtles disappeared into their room.

"Room 28 will of course belong to Mr. Luigi and Mr. Mario," Toadalton seemed accustomed to this introduction. It was accurate to act so, because Luigi and Mario came to the Mario Motel often. They liked to watch the races, and being on the track, the hotel was perfect for staying in during the grand tours. Mario and Luigi always stayed in Room 28.

"Thank you again Toadalton," Mario lauded as he fished a few coins out of his pocket. Toadalton seemed gratified; he had learned over the years to accept Mario's tips and now took them kindly. Dropping the money into his coat pocket, Toadalton saluted the Mario brothers and made his way back to the lobby. The Mario brothers entered their room, minds swimming with the events of the day and hearts pounding with excitement for the future races.

Once inside, Luigi didn't even bother to look for his bag. Instead, he flopped down on the comfy down mattress and closed his eyes. The toll of the race soaked into his skin and he hadn't realized how tired he was until now. Luigi didn't even hear the words Mario said to him, because within a few moments his eyelids were closed shut and the dreams settled in. The first race was over, and thinking in anticipation of what the next track could be like, Luigi faded into sleep.

**That was longer than I expected, but I'm happy I got it done. I'm really excited about this story, and I can't wait to release the whole thing. The whole season is planned, and I just have to write it. It was sad to see Wario and Waluigi go, but someone had to. **

**The chapters will work like this. One will be a race and the next will be interactions between the teams and exploration of the new environment. This game will take them all over the kingdoms of the Marioverse and I'm excited to bring it to life. So please read and review and let me know what you think! You readers make the story worth writing, so please don't forget to tell me how I did and what you liked. Ta-ta for now!**

**-Admiral Bobbery**


	2. The Mario Motel

Episode 1 Part 2

"Well, I guess we'd better head on down to dinner," Koopa adjusted his bowtie and spoke at the mirror, although he was talking to Paratroopa. His red-shelled companion was visibly uneasy and with a sigh Koopa said, "You know, I understand it's frightening that we could have been first, but we are here. It's unfortunate Wario and Waluigi had to go, but that's the way it is."

Paratroopa looked up, "That's not it," he said. "I…you know we'll be starting in last place next race, that's never good." Koopa shrugged and said, "That's just for the beginning, that doesn't mean anything."

That didn't convince Paratroopa, as his next words were unsettlingly ominous, "Wario and Waluigi were last in today's shootout."

"Let's just go to dinner," Koopa breathed steadily, trying to redirect Paratroopa's thoughts. Paratroopa conceded glumly, his thoughts still heavy with the lucky events of the race.

* * *

Dinner was served in the Mario Restaurant, christened after the hotel's owner. It was true, not only did Mario stay at the Mario Motel during race events, but he also owned it. The restaurant was simple, several circular tables peppered the red carpet floor with refined white tablecloths draped over the edges. Each table could seat four, and on each table a tiny candle rested in a miniature glass vase. The ambience was sophisticated, and the toad waiters wore crisp tuxedos and linens draped over their sleeves.

At the first table sat the day's winners, Rosalina and Polari. They were accompanied by the pair of hosts, Lakitu and Yellow. Munching on mushroom steak, freshly prepared by one of the finest chefs next to Zess T., Gourmet Guy, Lakitu recounted the race with breathless exhilaration.

"How clever to hit the brakes the second you saw that blue shell, I'm sure the Mario brothers were just shocked!" the host bellowed gregariously. He waved off the approaching toad with a hand as the waiter attempted to refill his wine glass. Rather bibulous already, Lakitu had settled for a fine bouquet over the Tasty Tonic Yellow was sipping.

"Well, I'm sure they were," Rosalina's smooth voice added greatly to the steady persiflage she and the host were keeping up. Yellow and Polari merely ate their food, while the cosmic woman and Lakitu seemed to be in a different room altogether.

At the second table sat Mario and Luigi with Peach and Daisy. The four all had various plate of appetizers, from mushroom fritters to kaliente supreme. Deep in conversation, Luigi didn't notice the fork he had aimed for a piece of mushroom fritters landed in the spicy squid, and putting the fiery food in his mouth, he shouted with alarm.

"Mamma Mia! Wow-ow-ow-ow that's hot!" Luigi fumbled with his water glass, and the goblet toppled over, soaking the tablecloth and Daisy's plate of flower petals. Running to the table opposite, Luigi chugged every glass of water, shocking many of the dinner guests. Mario slapped his forehead with a gloved hand, and snapped his fingers for a waiter to take care of the mess. Finally regaining his composure, Luigi sat down and everyone glared at him.

"You're supposed to dunk it in the cooling cream before you eat it dummy," Daisy chided halfheartedly. She wasn't really mad at him, because a new order of flower petals was brought and the tablecloth had been replaced. Everyone soon laughed off the event, and the normal white resumed its place on Luigi's face as opposed to the tomato red that had signaled his embarrassment. Being careful to avoid the kaliente supreme, Luigi continued to dine.

The third table housed DK and Diddy, along with Yoshi and Birdo. These two teams had settled in the middle of the pack, but they were still enjoying the five-star dinner and the four couldn't be happier.

"So, we finally get to King K. Rool's castle, and Diddy says…" DK looked at his partner and said, "Well what did you say Diddy?"

"I said…sheesh, this is a castle?" the smaller monkey smiled with nostalgia.

"This is a castle!" DK hooted, obviously thinking it was the funniest thing ever. Yoshi and Birdo thought it was a riot as well, and the four received looks of disdain from some of the mores refined diners. Slamming his massive fists on the table, DK caused the plates and glasses to shake, but none of the fell over.

Birdo gulped down another glass of Ty-Ku, an expensive Japanese soju, and clapped her hands, commanding attention. "I remember, Yoshi and I were on our honeymoon at Delfino, and when we get to the main strip, there are all of these stands of fresh fruit." The beginnings of a rosy flush started up Yoshi's cheeks. "So, he absolutely cannot help himself, and his tongue shoots out," Birdo continued as DK and Diddy looked on, waiting to hear the rest of the story. "In his excitement, he missed the fruit but gobbled up this lady pianta's sunhat, and by God it was the funniest thing ever!"

DK and Diddy erupted with laughter and even Yoshi couldn't help but to crack a smile. The four of them ate on, and continued to regale one another with the most hilarious stories they could remember.

The fourth table held Toad and Toadette, and Koopa and Paratroopa. Being the smallest competitors in the game, the four had started to grow close, and instead of joining in on the boisterous behavior of their company, they were talking strategy.

"Koopa and I might be next to go, starting last in the shootout may hurt us greatly," Paratroopa was obviously obsessed with this turn of events. Koopa, indifferent to Paratroopa's worries, leaned in and looked at Toad and Toadette squarely.

"You guys are at the head of the pack, say you allot us a spot in the top three, and we'll protect you once we get there," Koopa was trying to cut a deal.

"Will mutual guarantee of the limited use of items against one another be ensured?" Toad sounded extremely official.

"They will never expect these two teams to take it all the way, if we protect one another on the race track until the final stages of the game, we'll give them quite a show," Koopa delivered home his message. Toad and Toadette looked at each other, obviously weighing the benefits and costs and nodded their heads.

"You've got a deal," Toadette said definitively.

"Excellent," Koopa smiled.

* * *

Lakitu didn't leave any instructions on whether or not there was a structured lights out policy, and Yellow insisted that the host be taken to bed, so the players were basically left with no rules for the evening. Paratroopa wanted to be perfectly rested for the upcoming departure to the next location, so he and Koopa went to bed earlier than the rest of the players, with the exception of Birdo and Polari, the former due to being heavily inebriated and the latter due to his structured set of sleeping regiments. This left most of the players with nothing to do.

"Well, there's a big Jacuzzi outside near the pool deck, does anyone want to go?" DK asked the rest.

"That would be nice, but I'd have to grab my swimsuit, and I don't want to disrupt Polari," Rosalina replied.

"We'll go," Peach spoke for both her and Daisy, and DK's eyes lit up at the possibility of spending the evening in a hot tub with two beautiful princesses. However, he received cutting eyes from Mario and Luigi, so the simian forgot about his love life and settled for plain fun.

"I guess it would be fun," Luigi kicked at the ground in front of him, and he and Mario left to go put on their swim trunks. Peach and Daisy, arm in arm, sauntered out behind them and DK and Diddy were basically already ready to get in the hot tub. Yoshi decided to go stay with Birdo, so he bid goodnight to the rest.

"See you tomorrow Yoshi," Toad waved merrily to the green dinosaur, who returned the gesture. Toad and Toadette, not wanting to go to the Jacuzzi, decided to go to the Arcade instead, bringing Diddy with them, who had decided against going to the pool deck.

The five settled into the bubbling waters, and DK felt awkwarded out by the romantic gestures the princesses were making at the plumbers.

"You know what, I just remembered Diddy needs his…ugh…seizure medication," DK's lie stumbled out of his mouth.

"Diddy has epilepsy?" Daisy asked with a concerned tone.

"It's only ugh…triggered when he plays video games, so I gotta go give it to him," DK rushed out of the hot tub in embarrassment, and darted back inside the Mario Motel.

"That was…odd," Mario searched for the right word.

The foursome shrugged, and returned to basking in the warm and bubbling waters of the moonlit Jacuzzi. Wrapping an arm around Peach's shoulder, Mario brought the princess closer to him, and she didn't move a muscle in protest. Luigi gave his brother a thumbs up, then received one back when Mario noticed Daisy nestling into Luigi's chest. This show was turning out to be alright.

* * *

In the arcade, Toad and Toadette were deeply focused on a match of air hockey. Slamming the puck into Toad's goal, Toadette whooped, "I'm the winner!" Toad turned the table off, and with a downcast breath he said, "Let's play Mushroom Crisis 4." Toadette whined in protest, "I'm no good at that game." Toad, looking annoyed said, "Well, apparently you're good at everything else in this lame arcade, so why don't we play something you're not good at for once." Toadette, peeved, walked out of the arcade and Toad chased after her.

"Glad I don't have a girlfriend," Diddy laughed to himself as he fired away at the Goombas in Mushroom Crisis 4.

"That's his sister you half-wit," DK corrected his friend as he entered the arcade.

"I thought you were going to the pool deck," Diddy said the words in a gushy mocking voice.

"It got weird," DK said and Diddy understood. Popping a coin in the machine, DK lifted the pistol and turned it sideways.

"Going gangster?" Diddy asked.

"You know it," his primate friend replied.

* * *

Entering her room ever so quietly, Rosalina tried not to disturb Polari, but realized he was still up. "What's wrong?" Rosalina asked the black luma.

"Oh nothing, I'm just thinking about those two fellows who got eliminated earlier today, and the funniest thing is…well I don't remember their names," Polari rubbed his reading glasses, he had been trying to read a book, but hadn't read single word in over five minutes. Setting the glasses down on the nightstand, the luma looked at his most trusted friend, and Rosalina smiled briefly.

"It's rather peculiar," Polari continued, "How one minute you're high up above the stars, reading celestial routes through a telescope, and then the next minute, you've won a kart race down on Earth. You meet people you've never known existed, and they impact your life far greater in a few hours than some of your friends have in a few years. People don't get to experience moments like those every day, and I find myself fortunate to be constantly surprised by how unpredictable life is."

Rosalina was fond of her friend's sage-like nature, and she replied with brevity, "Life is full of surprises."

"Oh, much more than that," Polari said, his voice piping up. "Life will never cease to amaze you, it's like a picture show that never ends, and you've got front row seats. What a day," the luma closed his reflection and looked up at Rosalina. "You could have gone swimming, I wouldn't have minded it."

Rosalina, feeling the bracelet on her wrist that allowed her to communicate with Polari when apart, had forgotten of the device. She and Polari had to keep the Comet Observatory running perfectly every second, so in order to communicate; Lubba had built them these special bracelets.

"Oh, you know I would rather spend an evening with you, discussing the patterns of the asteroid belt than to spend a night in a hot tub with friends at a five-star hotel," Rosalina replied after a few moments of silence. Polari looked up at her, and with a smile on his slowly wizening he patted the twirling tufts of Rosalina's platinum hair. There was twinkle in his eyes, much like the twinkle left behind in the wake of a comet, something that both of them knew too well.

"Goodnight Rosi," Polari said softly and all the space princess could do was smile as the luma drifted into sleep.

* * *

After a romantic evening in the Jacuzzi, two of the teams split ways and bid each other goodnight.

"Mamma Mia, that was nice," Luigi exclaimed as the brothers made their way to room 28. As Mario opened the door to enter the room, allowing Luigi in ahead of him, he said, "I sure do hope that we all stay in this game for quite some time."

"You think a we could make an alliance with Peach and Daisy?" Luigi prompted, "You know, to not use items against one another, help each progress throughout a the races."

"Hmm," Mario thought aloud, "I'd suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask them. Besides, we did a better than them, so it'd be doing them a favor to have us on their side."

"Let's a sleep on it," Luigi decided and Mario groggily nodded his head in agreement as they settled down for bed.

* * *

Toadette, having stormed off to her room, soon made up with Toad and the siblings went to sleep. This left only one team still up, and they were currently blasting away Goombas in a heated match of Mushroom Crisis 4.

"Take that!" Diddy screeched, rocking the nerves of the arcade attendant, who desperately wanted to go to sleep.

"Oh Yeah! Level 59 here we come!" DK pounded his chest.

"Don't you two fellas think it's about time to go to bed, I'm sure you've got a big day ahead of you with the traveling and what not," a voice carried into the room. It was none other than Podley, from the bar, and he adjusted his pince-nez as he walked in.

DK and Diddy looked at each other, and through mutual unspoken agreement made their way to the exit of the arcade.

"Oh radish pudding, I almost forgot," Podley followed the monkeys out and said, "Lakitu wanted me to give this to you." Holding out a small flower, the bartender extended his reach to DK's hand.

"What is this?" DK asked in wonder.

"You see, I was instructed to give the team that stayed up the latest a special item in the next race, you keep that safe you hear and by all means, don't use it until the next race begins!" Podley scurried out of the arcade, leaving the pair of simians quite confused.

The flower, resembling a fire flower in appearance, was only different in color. Instead of the traditional green stem and beautiful arrangement of reds, oranges and yellows, this flower looked like it was ready to go to a funeral. The stem, a solid black, was peppered with deadly looking thorns, but the flower itself appeared much more insidious in design. The outer ring was black, and shades of purple decreased in intensity until hitting a light plum in the center. Holding it like one would a newborn child; DK followed his best friend to their room, wondering what powers this new item held.

* * *

Morning came, and with it a new chapter in the journey of the seven remaining teams. Reaching the breakfast bar first, Yoshi devoured nearly every single piece of fruit.

"I swear he has some sort of medical condition," Mario whispered to Peach, who broke into a fit of giggles. Koopa and Paratroopa sat with their partners, Toad and Toadette, and all four of them were digging into hearty helpings of sausage, eggs, and toast.

"Man this is good," Koopa commented as he took a sip of his freshly squeezed orange juice.

"All of the food made at the Mario Motel is extremely fresh, which is another reason why it's the best place to stay in town," Yellow explained as he and Lakitu reached the breakfast room. Floating over on his cloud, Lakitu shot a sneaky wink at DK and Diddy, something the other players didn't catch. The pair of primates understood what this meant, and Diddy gulped in anticipation, choking on his biscuit.

"Ack!" Diddy coughed up his food.

"Oh, that is so gross," Birdo put a hand on her chest as she witnessed the nasty scene.

It wasn't long before everyone had downed breakfast, and assembling in the foyer of the Mario Motel, the fourteen remaining players anxiously awaited the news Lakitu had come to bring them.

"Well, I can certainly tell you're ready to go Toadette," Lakitu acknowledged the girl as she was visibly bouncing on the heels of her feet.

"I just want to know where we're off to next, I'm eager to win some money!" Toadette said in response.

"Well, if you want to know that bad, I guess I'd better tell you," Lakitu said. At this, the players leaned in, in anticipation of what their next racing location would be.

"The next stop on your fabulous journey is…Mushroom Gorge!" Lakitu said grandly.

"That's not too far from here," Daisy sounded a bit disappointed, having wanted to travel.

"Yes well, we'll be all over the map before this journey is done," Lakitu did his best to reassure her, and the princess looked visibly happier.

"Now!" Lakitu's shout startled everyone, "Get your bags and get on the bus, we're off to Mushroom Gorge in twenty minutes!"

Assembling in front of the bus, all teams were present when Lakitu lined them up.

"Alright! Everyone's here…what do say Yellow?" Lakitu asked his co-host.

"I'd say it's time to go!" the yellow toad heartily cheered. Everyone cheered and clapped at his announcement, and filing into the bus one by one, the players found their seats. Excited and nervous to reach Mushroom Gorge, the players started to chat amongst themselves as the bus pulled out of the parking lot of the Mario Motel, leaving their first destination behind.

**So, some interesting things occurred this chapter. How will the alliance between Koopa&Paratroopa and Toad&Toadette pan out? What powers does the new item DK&Diddy received hold? Will Rosalina and Polari's win carry over to the next race? And what awaits our racers at Mushroom Gorge? Keep on reading to find out!**

**Please Read and Review, it means the world to not just me, but every author on this site. Every single one is inspiring and exciting!**

**~ AdmiralBobbery**


	3. The Second Race

Episode 2 Part 1

* * *

The sun shone down brightly as the now seven teams made their way off of the wheezing bus.

"Boy, am I ever glad to get off of that heap of trash," Diddy said as he clambered onto the grass below the bus.

There wasn't much time for conversation during the short bus ride to Mushroom Gorge, as only thirty minutes had passed before they arrived at their next destination. Keeping close as Lakitu waved for them to gather around, the players bounced on their heels (if they had them) in excitement, wondering when the race would occur.

"Before we begin today, there's a few things we need to go over," Lakitu adjusted his bowtie and the players could see the toad mechanics wheeling out their precious karts.

"First of all, do not fear falling off the shroom caps and into the gorge, there is a mesh net below which will catch you and I'll come fish you out," Lakitu said, regarding the dark abyss on both sides of the detour of the track.

"Secondly, this race is once again worth 25,000 coins for the winning team, so try your best to nab that top spot. You'll also be starting off in the shootout according to your place in yesterday's race, so doing well in the races certainly gives you an advantage in the next one," Lakitu continued his instructions. At the mention of the shootout, Polari and Rosalina exchanged a nervous glance, wondering if they could pull it off again.

"There's one more thing I neglected to mention," Lakitu raised his eyebrows at the pair of simians; "DK and Diddy have a bit of an advantage this time around."

"What?" cried Toadette, "That's not fair!"

"Actually, it is fair Toadette, because DK and Diddy aren't being given a handout, they managed to complete my special side task," Lakitu corrected the pink toad girl.

"And what would that be?" Birdo narrowed her eyes at the monkeys, who were starting to blush red like a pair of sweltering tomatoes.

"Whichever team was brave enough to stay up the latest despite having a huge day ahead of them would be given a brand new item," Lakitu informed the others, "So when DK and Diddy were the last ones awake last night, I had Podley slip them this secret new weapon. However, I won't be telling you what is, you'll just have to find out on the track." His mysterious words sent ripples through the other teams, and everyone eyed DK and Diddy with looks of suspicion and a hint of envy.

"I told you we should have stayed in the arcade," Toad whined to his sister, who slammed her shoe down on his foot.

"Ow!" Toad cried in pain, but Toadette only laughed.

Following Lakitu over to the karts, the players noticed that they were already lined up on the track, in the fashion of their respective positions on the board thus far. This time however, there was no audience to view their race, only the seven teams and their two hosts.

"Before we begin," Yellow announced, "There is an additional new item that you get in the item boxes on this track. See, each track has its own special item, brand new and designed especially for this game. So for example, last time Koopa and Paratroopa got the thwomp, but you won't see that item again, because it is exclusive to Mario Circuit."

"Interesting," Peach whispered to Daisy, "I wonder what it could be this time."

"Probably something super deadly," Daisy replied, "Considering that last time was a thwomp."

"You're probably right," Peach said back.

"I believe that's all we need to talk about," Yellow said as he looked up to Lakitu, who was floating above the pole positions with his checkered flag.

"Racers!" Lakitu boomed grandly, "Please enter your karts!"

Scrambling to get situated, everyone dashed to their karts. Yoshi bumped into Mario, and the two mumbled a quick apology to one another before hoping in their karts. When everyone was ready, Lakitu held the flag high above his head.

"Now there are three laps here at Mushroom Gorge," he explained, "First team to cross the finish line after three laps will win this race and be awarded with 25,000 coins apiece! Everyone ready?"

All the drivers nodded, and the riders in the back tightened their grip on the handle bar. Ready to snatch up any item to use to their advantage, the riders were also worrying over keeping their balance once they hit the shroom caps; however they could just go around them.

"On your mark!" Lakitu held the flag higher.

"Get set!"

"Go!"

* * *

Tearing off like thunder, the seven karts lurched forward and zoomed out of the box. Eager to begin, every team had hit the extra speed boost out of the shootout, and they were all clustered together as the race began. The dirt road was a straight shot to the mushroom caps, but a few teams immediately noticed the safer detour to the side. It would take longer, but it didn't run the risk of losing precious time by falling into the ravine. Plus, there were item boxes on both sides, so that wasn't a concern.

"Which way should we a go?" Luigi asked nervously, this time driving instead of Mario.

"The caps will take us to the next stage of the track faster, I say we a go for that!" Mario urged his brother to take the riskier route. Luigi nodded, and hitting the pedal to the floor, zoomed in front of the other teams.

Toad and Toadette, ready to win this time, swerved on the outside of the track and gunned the engine towards the ramp. Ready to go airborne in just a few moments, the two teams lead the pack across the caps. Well most of the pack that is.

Deciding to not run the riskier route, Peach and Daisy cut to the left and sped down the safer route. Scooping up an item box, the princesses rolled a red shell, and Daisy decided to wait on using it. Birdo and Yoshi followed them as well, and after picking up a fire flower, decided to burn the princesses from behind.

"Ouch!" Daisy cried out as the fiery ball made contact with their kart. Spinning madly, the kart crashed into the rock wall and the princesses nearly tumbled over. Seething with anger, having been the first team hit, Daisy launched their red shell. The projectile smashed into the back of Yoshi and Birdo's kart and the dinosaurs flipped over in a display of wobbling tires and mashing metal. Regaining their upright posture, Yoshi and Birdo were behind the princesses once again, and Birdo smashed her foot on the gas, nearly ripping Yoshi's arms from their sockets as he clung on to the handlebar for dear life.

"Don't get me killed!" Yoshi warned his wife.

"I don't know…it might be worth 25,000 coins," Birdo didn't sound like she was joking.

Sailing over the ramp at the same time Daisy and Peach had scooped up their red shell, Mario and Luigi made contact with the first shroom cap. Not expecting the sudden bounce, Luigi manically tried to regain control of the wheel, but it was too late.

"Ah Luigi! You've got to a turn the wheel!" Mario screamed as they plummeted into the darkness below. Smirking, Toad heard Mario's advice as he descended and shifted the wheel to the left, making their kart bounce directly onto the next cap.

"Yahoo!" Toad whooped, "This is awesome!"

"There's a bogey on our tail!" Toadette cried out.

"Stop referencing Star Fox, quick there's an item box!" Toad pointed ahead, and as the kart collided with the rainbow cube, Toadette received a banana.

"Here ya go!" Toadette threw the banana back and it splattered perfectly against the red cap. Not suspecting the obstruction, Rosalina and Polari landed directly on it after their bounce.

Their kart swerving far to the right, the celestial pair screamed out as their kart veered towards the edge. Fighting to stay in control, Rosalina moved the kart all the way to the left, and as two wheels dangled over the edge, two stayed on the cap. The kart was suspended on the edge, and the duo couldn't move.

"I think it would be best to just throw ourselves over, there's no way we can get back onto the course without doing it," Polari advised as DK and Diddy sped past them.

"Hold on tight then!" Rosalina warned as she rolled the kart forward and over the edge. The feeling of their stomach lifting inside of them, as if they were on a rollercoaster, hit them hard, and they screamed the whole way down until the bounced off of the mesh screen. Soon, Lakitu was there to pick them up and as they were placed back on the course, they saw the Mario brothers zoom by. Rosalina and Polari, yesterday's victors, were currently in last place.

Current Standings

1st- Toad and Toadette

2nd- Peach and Daisy

3rd- Birdo and Yoshi

4th- Koopa and Paratroopa

5th- DK and Diddy

6th- Mario and Luigi

7th- Rosalina and Polari

"After them!" Koopa cried as Paratroopa swerved around a rocky bend of the cave. The amethyst crystals shined on the walls, glistening like the morning dew. Each jewel was unique, and their series of lattices were eye-capturing. So much that Paratroopa didn't pay attention as the next turn came up and Koopa notified him with a holler as they smashed into the wall. Careening forwards, Paratroopa sailed over the bend and down into the second gorge of the course.

"Noooooo!" Koopa wailed, mourning his dead partner. That is, until Lakitu flew by to rescue him. Hauling Paratroopa back into his kart, the host said a few words about careless driving and then zoomed off, presumably back to the starting line so he could monitor any upcoming racers.

"I thought you had died," Koopa was overjoyed to see his friend, and Paratroopa still seemed a bit shaken up, "I thought I was going to," he replied.

"Why don't I drive?" Koopa offered.

At the front of the race, Toad and Toadette were zooming right along. Passing through an item box, Toad whipped up a green shell before they launched themselves off of the second ramp and onto the first shroom cap of the interior gorge. Bouncing around like crickets, they launched from platform to platform, screaming wildly as they did so.

"That was exhilarating!" Toadette whooped in enthusiasm.

"More like frightening," Toad said with a huff of exhaustion. However, he couldn't rest for long, because the princesses were hot on their tail.

"Checkpoints comin' up!" Toadette hollered back to her brother.

"We've got company," Toad clenched his teeth and sent the green shell flying. It was barely off, and Daisy stuck out her tongue as she maneuvered around the projectile. Coming closer, the princess hit the gas once more and soon the duos were neck and neck.

"Lovely morning isn't it Toadette?" Peach asked with malevolent intentions.

"Can it Peach, nothing personal, but you're not winning this race," Toadette stated fiercely.

"And why would that be?" Peach asked, not taking her eyes off the pink girl.

"Because we're nearing the checkpoint, and you're about to smash into that pole," Toadette smiled knowingly. It was true, Daisy had been busy staring down Toadette alongside her partner that she had forgotten she was driving. Nearing the checkpoint, Daisy turned to notice the metal pole of the starting gate, but too late. Smashing into the structure, their car lost all of its momentum, but the inertia of the collision sent the princesses tumbling forward and onto the lush grass beside them. Spitting out a mouthful of green, Peach slapped Daisy on the shoulder.

"You were driving!" She chastised.

"Sorry…" Daisy mumbled as she rubbed her red shoulder.

"Seems as if our royal highnesses are learning how things feel down on the ground, literally," Birdo spat her ribald at the princesses as Yoshi drove their kart by, stealing second place. Peach and Daisy shot the pink dinosaur sour looks, but they were gone before the prehistoric pair noticed them. Sailing past the checkpoint, the second lap had begun.

"Alright buddy," DK said as he and his simian partner bounced around on the shroom caps. "We've got one shot at this, let's make it count." Swerving to the left sharply, DK plummeted off the edge of the shroom caps, but his intentions were not sabotage. Hitting a tiny blue cap that was near the left of the main ones, DK had spotted the miniscule shortcut. The cerulean shroom had propelled towards the roof, and the Kongs were deposited in a rocky enclave high above the track, wasting no time, DK hit the gas.

"How on Earth did you spot that?" Diddy questioned his friend's tact, who was now driving with an intense look on his face.

"Diddy my friend," DK replied, "I do believe it's time we make use of our weapon."

Shooting out of the hidden road, the Kongs skipped the checkpoint and landed right in front of the ramp for the first set of caps. Knowing exactly what to do, Diddy wheeled around in his secondary position and removed the shadowy flower from the item compartment below the handlebar.

"Hope this does something good," the tinier of the monkeys prayed as he activated the powers of the dark plant, opening fire on the pair of speedy duos behind them. Three balls, each one black as night and possessing traces of shadowy flame tailing off the back. The flower's special fire hit the course and after two bounces did something completely unprecedented. Where track had been, there now was none.

"By boogity!" Toad cried as Toadette drove straight into the newly formed pit, "We're going down!" His words were true, and the siblings screamed in terror as they plummeted below, falling through the newly made hole.

"Careful dear," Birdo advised her husband, but she didn't portend the leftover fire in the flower.

Diddy Kong, knowing he had to take care of the approaching dinosaurs, squeezed the stem of the flower once more, being careful to avoid the prickly thorns. Two more swirling orbs of shadowy flame burst forth as the primates bounced on the caps, and one formed a hole on the first cap itself. Now nearly impossible to circumvent, the cap was an automatic fall to the gaping ravine below.

"Darn you Kongs!" Yoshi shouted as he and his wife fell into the black below. However, despite his feelings of triumph, Diddy's glee soon dissipated into worry as Toad and Toadette resumed their racing, rescued by Lakitu.

In the back of the pack, Rosalina and Polari were slowly advancing on the Mario brothers, coming around the bend towards the checkpoint, when they noticed the smoking kart of Daisy and Peach's. The princesses had just begun to get back in their kart and soon joined the ranks of the last racers. Picking up speed from a mushroom, Polari and Rosalina raced past them and the Italian plumbers.

"Aiyayaya!" Mario shouted, "They're gonna beat us!"

However, all was not roses for Rosalina and Polari as they neared the gaping holes created by the shadow flower, which happened to be permanent.

"When were these here?" Polari shouted his question.

"I don't know!" Rosalina screamed back, "But hold on!" Maneuvering throughout the tiny spaces allotted by the holes, Rosalina swerved the kart left and right, nearly throwing Polari off. The luma kept holding on though, and Rosalina was able to manage the new portion of the course. Just as they came out fine, they could see Koopa and Paratroopa disappear from sight, although they had seemed to land on the first cap perfectly.

"Avoid the jump! Take the side road!" Polari had realized what lay ahead and warned the cosmic princess driving the kart. Veering left, Rosalina narrowly missed the ramp and their kart careened towards the side. Approaching the edge of the gulch, Rosalina corrected the lean and tore up the track underneath her. They were safe.

"Alright!" Rosalina cheered, and Polari wiggled his little arms around in satisfaction.

Rescued by Lakitu, Birdo and Yoshi were now at the interior to the cave, hot on the trail of Toad and Toadette. Koopa and Paratroopa were behind them, but by about fifty meters. It was getting close, too close for one pink dinosaur in particular.

"What did you get?" Yoshi questioned what item had come out of the box, not being able to look behind him as they approached the second set of caps.

"Three red shells," Birdo said with a drawn-out emphasis on the power of the item she was holding. "I intend to make them count," she finished. Knowing the shell would directly hit its target, Birdo launched the first projectile in the roundabout direction of Toad and Toadette. The red shell shot like a bullet towards the two siblings, but Toadette wasn't going to let the kart be flipped so easily.

"Va-voom!" She squealed as the kart zoomed over the ramp, and Toad pumped his fist as the red shell disappeared into the abyss below them, bouncing on the mesh net that had been provided for their safety.

"Dang," Birdo looked disappointed, and decided to save the shells until they got onto stable ground. Keeping her weapons in reserve, the wife of Yoshi cut her eyes at the adorable pair of toads ahead of them, vowing to knock them right off the track.

"Hang on!" Koopa advised as he and Paratroopa bounced over the caps. Hitting each one perfectly, the accrued massive amounts of air time as their tiny kart rocketed from shroom to shroom. Reaching the safe side, they both let out breaths of relief and steeled themselves for what was next. The final lap was approaching.

DK and Diddy, at the front of the pack, seemed genuinely unbothered by the race, and in their euphoria forgot that the holes from their shadow flower still existed. Diddy may have created them, but nothing was stopping them from falling into their own trap. Forgetting they existed, and partially thinking the effects of the item were transitory, DK couldn't lift a finger to do anything as he and his simian partner dropped into the darkness below.

"Crap!" Diddy clapped his hands on the top of his head, dislodging his trademark cap.

Lakitu was soon by their side and fished them out of the gorge, but the other racers were perfecting how to avoid the craters, and soon Toad and Toadette peeled in front of them.

"Our lead!" DK reached out his arm, as if in an effort to catch what they had lost.

"Go!" Diddy commanded, and DK slammed his barefoot down on the gas pedal, sending both of the monkeys catapulting forward.

The battle over fifth place was heating up, as Mario and Luigi were hot on the celestial pairs tail as they reached the safe side of the second gulch, and Peach and Daisy were not far behind them.

Current Positions

1st- Toad and Toadette

2nd- DK and Diddy

3rd- Yoshi and Birdo

4th- Koopa and Paratroopa

5th- Rosalina and Polari

6th- Mario and Luigi

7th- Peach and Daisy

"Mamma Mia!" Mario cried as Peach and Daisy sped past them in a brilliant display of rainbow lights. The princesses had acquired a star, and they were darting past the back of the pack to claim fifth place. Running right over Rosalina and Polari, the space duo was sent sprawling, and Mario and Luigi didn't look back to assist them.

"They look hurt," Luigi mumbled, but Mario didn't hear him, he was focused on reaching the princesses.

"Oh yeah!" Daisy cried as she and Peach swerved around the bend, avoiding the first few caps. Heading straight for the mouth of the sparkling cave, they missed the item boxes and braced themselves for the jump. However, they were too enthused and Peach overshot the jump, plummeting into the darkness below.

Using their mishap as a means to get ahead, Luigi scooped up triple mushrooms and shoved them into the exhaust. Their kart zoomed ahead, passing the fallen spot of the princesses. Recovered from their bout with the princess's star, Rosalina and Polari crept closer to overtaking Peach and Daisy.

In the middle of the pack, Birdo and Yoshi were so focused on taking down Toad and Toadette, that they didn't notice Koopa and Paratroopa behind them. Prepared to take down the prehistoric pair with a hidden red shell, Koopa raised his weapon high. Mario and Luigi, not far behind, were aiming their own red shell at the turtles in front of them, but none of them expected the weapon Rosalina and Polari received.

Barreling past them, themselves and their kart encased in a rough metal, Rosalina and Polari were riding on the inside of a bullet bill. While it appears from the sidelines that the kart disappears, in truth, the bullet bill simply encases its riders in a thick hull of black metal and then blasts off at high speeds, carrying the kart with it as well. In a display of flaming speed, Rosalina and Polari swerved past Koopa and Paratroopa, and the Mario brothers, but they collided with Yoshi and Birdo.

"No!" Yoshi cried as he and Birdo tumbled into the dust. Not far behind them, Peach and Daisy were gaining ground. The final lap was about to meet its close and although the front of the pack was close, the race for survival was getting tough.

Nearing the finish line, Toad and Toadette could see Lakitu waving his checkered flag. After narrowly losing to Rosalina and Polari the race before, the siblings were determined to snag this win. Hot on their tail, DK and Diddy pressed forward, but it wasn't enough. Crossing over the finish line about two seconds before DK and Diddy did, Toad and Toadette claimed the victory.

"Yahoo!" the pair yelled in unison, overjoyed with their win. "We did it!" Toadette cheered in elation. They were thrilled, and as DK and Diddy barreled in at second place, the Kongs couldn't help but feel joy as well.

"Second isn't bad," DK said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That secret weapon of yours was so tricky!" Toad complained, "I thought we were done for when we fell into that hole!"

"Well we made our own set of mistakes," Diddy admitted, and the four of them laughed lightly, happy with the results of the race. Hearing a loud noise, Toadette whirled around, her eyes bulging as the bullet bill shot towards them.

"Run!" she screamed, and the four of them ran in separate directions as the casing flew in, depositing Rosalina and Polari beyond the finish line and then disappearing into thin air.

"Was that a Bullet Bill?" DK asked, and Toad nodded from the other side of the track.

"What'd we make?" Rosalina asked, "Third?"

"It appears so," Polari said, and after a moment of silence the cosmic duo burst out in a fit of happiness.

"We were behind the whole time! Third place? This is wonderful!" Rosalina and Polari danced around their kart, earning weird looks from the other two teams.

"We thought we were toast!" Polari admitted as he and Rosalina calmed down.

"Well, third's a good place," Diddy lauded the two, and they inquired as to who won.

"We did!" Toad and Toadette chorused, and Rosalina and Polari showered them with congratulations. No crowd was present to go wild this time, but Toad and Toadette still glowed with the accomplishment of winning the race.

As cheery as it was beyond the finish line, Lakitu watched intently as the battle for fourth place unfolded. Mario and Luigi tried to cut off Koopa and Paratroopa, but the turtles weren't relenting. Ramming their kart into the former minions of Bowser, Mario and Luigi were able to knock them sideways, sending them into the grass. It wasn't enough to damage the kart or cause any substantial trouble, but it was enough to earn Mario and Luigi fourth place.

"Alright!" Luigi cheered, "That's-a-good!"

"It's a me! Mario!" Mario whooped his fist, doing his trademark cheer.

"We're still in this game," Luigi let out an exhausted breath, and they joined the other three teams.

Koopa and Paratroopa rolled in, shooting the Mario brothers looks of disdain.

"That wasn't all that fair," Koopa grumbled, but Paratroopa patted his back.

"We're not going anywhere," the red-shelled winged turtle announced, "So we can get them next time." Agreeing to give it up, Koopa followed his friend as they congratulated Toad and Toadette, who were sitting on the shoulders of the Mario brothers.

"Good job you two!" Koopa praised, shooting them a quick wink that only they understood and no one else saw, signaling that their hidden alliance was still active. Acknowledging his motion, Toad nodded his head curtly, and Koopa then joined the others in celebration of making it to the next round.

Two teams remained, trying not to land in last place. Although Yoshi and Birdo had been sent flying when the Bullet Bill smashed into them, Peach and Daisy were still a bit behind. Gaining their senses and hopping back into their kart, Yoshi sped off with Birdo at the handlebar. Peach and Daisy knew their fate was sealed and watched helplessly as Birdo and Yoshi rolled across the finish line, securing a pass to next week.

Slowly coming in, Peach and Daisy were tearing up as Lakitu floated down. Breaking away from the celebration, the other six teams turned their attention to the last duo to arrive and soon crowded around them. Toadette clung to Peach's dress, not wanting her friend to leave. Lakitu motioned for Yellow to come over, and soon both hosts were facing the remaining fourteen.

"What an eventful race!" Yellow boomed, his voice seeming oddly loud for his tiny stature, "So much to discuss."

"How'd you like that Shadow Flower?" Lakitu turned to DK and Diddy, who laughed nervously.

"We didn't account for having to dodge the holes on the third lap, and that ultimately made us lose the race. But, I was more surprised at the initial effect of the item, I thought it was crazy!" Diddy answered the host's question.

"Despite that, numerous teams managed to overcome the Kongs advantage, and in the end, Toad and Toadette one-upped them by stealing first place. Congratulations to the two of you, and in accordance with winning the race, you both win 25,000 coins!" Lakitu adjusted his bowtie as he said this and brushed back his wet strands of hair, three to be exact. Waving the flag and rescuing the countless karts that had fallen into the gorge had exhausted him, and he let Yellow take over from there.

"However, where there are winners, there are losers," Yellow turned to Peach and Daisy.

"Peach and Daisy, you did make last place, and because of that…," Yellow drew out the suspicion.

"You have been eliminated, I'm sorry," he stated firmly.

Shocked, everyone turned to the princesses and bid them good-bye.

"No! Peach!" Toadette clung to her dress.

"W-w-hy!" Luigi bawled, "My Daisy!" Daisy kissed him on the cheek, and waved goodbye to everyone else.

"Goodbye Peach," Mario embraced the pink-clad princess and she hugged him back. Holding each other tight, the rest could tell this departure was emotional.

"Why do they have to go?" Toadette moaned, "I'll miss you!"

"You did great!" Birdo called to Peach and Daisy.

"Any final thoughts?" Yellow asked, "How was the experience?"

"Oh," Daisy answered, "It was wonderful. Yeah, it's a bummer to be the second team eliminated, but we gave it our all. This course was tricky, and the other teams were able to pull it off before we could."

"I loved the first race," Peach said with a laugh, "But the experience of staying in the Mario Motel with everyone, that's a dinner I'll never forget."

"Well, you certainly brought grace and beauty to the track, but now we must say goodbye," Yellow motioned for them to board the bus, which now had a Shy Guy driving it.

"Farewell! Goodbye! See you again!" Everyone shouted different words of departure as the princesses boarded the bus. Looking back one last time, the two women blew kisses to the rest, then turned to enter the bus. Winking one last time at Luigi, Daisy melted his heart as she embarked, and then they were gone.

"That all happened so fast," Rosalina commented as the bus pulled away with the princesses inside.

"I didn't think it would be them," Paratroopa admitted.

"Well! Onward to bigger and brighter things!" Yellow clapped his hands, startling Lakitu from the sleep he had dozed into.

"Ah yes," Lakitu waved everyone over, still looking groggy, "I think it's time we show you where you'll be staying."

Floating over to a door on the side of the track, most of the players looked surprised. They had not noticed this small blue door earlier, and as Lakitu opened it, their minds were filled with wonder at his statement.

"Follow me!" He motioned, "To the Gorge-ous Grotto!"

**Peach and Daisy are gone! Sorry if you liked them, but someone had to go. What will our remaining six teams discover in this new location? Will Toad and Toadette be able to keep up their win? What surprises lurk around the corner? Will Yoshi ever stand up to his wife? All of this and more, on the next episode of….Mario Kart: Double Dash Dreams!**


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